University of Edinburgh Medical School in Scotland provides the Medicine (A100) course.
UCAT
Separate candidates into UCAT deciles and award a score. Also score SJT. Use this along with academic ability to award invite to Assessment Day. If in SJT Band 4, will not be invited to interview.
For 2026 entry, there will be a minimum cut off score of 1650.
Students are then ranked with the following weighted criteria:
- 50% academic score
- 35% UCAT cognitive subtest score
- 17.5% UCAT Situational Judgement Score
Edinburgh then divide their cohort into deciles and allocate a score for that as well as the Situational Judgement banding to select candidates for an assessment day. The points are then added to a candidate’s academic score to contribute towards their final ranking.
The assessment day score, academic score, UCAT cognitive subtest score and UCAT Situational Judgement score are then summed together to determine offers. It is important to note that Edinburgh, along with the other four Scottish universities, treat applicants who reside in other parts of the UK in a separate category to Scottish students. As there are far stricter limits on place numbers for RUK applicants, the score thresholds tend to be higher for those who live outside Scotland. Therefore, AAA predictions and a lower Situational Judgement band are often not sufficient for an interview invitation. At Edinburgh, students who achieve band 4 in the UCAT Situational Judgement subtest face automatic rejection.
Personal Statement
While it will not be formally assessed, it will play an important part in the assessment day.
Academic Requirements
GCSE Requirements
GCSE Requirements for University of Edinburgh Medical School are:
- Maths - Grade 7 minimum
- English - Grade 7 minimum
- Science - Grade 7 in Biology and Chemistry. Double Award combined sciences, or equivalent, at AA or 77 may replace GCSE grades in sciences.
- Other requirements - No other requirements.
Your best 8 GCSE grades are scored. A 6 in Chemistry or biology scores 1; 6s in other subjects score 2; all 7s and up to four 8s score 3; 7s and between five and seven 8s score 4; 7s and more than seven 8s score 5. This formula can be adjusted for applicants who were unable to take 8 GCSEs; UCAT score can be given extra weight if you have not sat GCSEs. GCSEs make up 25% of the weighting in scoring for interview.
A-levels or Scottish Higher requirements.
SQA Highers: AAAAB by end of S5 and BB at Advanced Higher in S6, including Chemistry and two from Biology, Mathematics or Physics.
A*AA in Chemistry and one from Biology/Human Biology, Mathematics or Physics at A. Only one of Mathematics or Further Mathematics will be considered.
International Baccalaureate
40 points with 766 at Higher Level including Chemistry and at least one other science subject.
Graduate Applicant Degree Requirements
2:1 honours degree (or international equivalent), weighted towards science degrees (BSc or equivalent) or non-science degree with Chemistry in an accepted high school qualification (eg A level grade B, SQA Higher grade B or IB Higher Level at grade 5). Applicants with a degree in a medical subject such as Biomedical Sciences, Medical Sciences, Nursing or Paramedic Science are preferred.
Widening Participation
Edinburgh Medical School considers a broad range of contextual factors in their selection process including POLAR4 quintile, an applicant’s school or college and in some cases, school-specific data.
Edinburgh Medical School also supports LEAPS and the Reach initiative. More information about eligibility for support from LEAPS or Reach can be obtained from the Widening Participation team: www.ed.ac.uk/student-recruitment/wideningparticipation